


hit my line, any time

by princealliance (popoyoy11)



Series: oh baby, we're made of star particles [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, lots of smiling because They Are In Love, no angst in this establishment, they are in love, they are so in love!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-24 23:30:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20022817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popoyoy11/pseuds/princealliance
Summary: Jaehyun's got something on his mind alright, and it's been bothering him for the past couple of days. He's not the type to worry about anything, but they've been so busy and he's so tired that he can't stop the stream of thoughts that seem to have come from nowhere from affecting him.Jaehyun wants so badly to give in. He wants nothing more than to cave in to the warmth that Taeyong offers. Let Taeyong deal with these emotions that he doesn't understand. But it's so trivial, and Taeyong's got so much on his plate already. Jaehyun doesn't want to add to that clutter.orJaehyun is worried, and Taeyong, the loving boyfriend that he is, helps him with it.





	hit my line, any time

**Author's Note:**

> HI I'M BACK
> 
> this time with 3000 words of pure, unadulterated FLUFF. this is the most indulgent piece i've written to date. the ncity fandom is kind of in ruins on my timeline so to ease the anxiety i wrote this, lmao.
> 
> this is set in october 2018 when they went to LA. also hey! i made a [short playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5zLQbwXXyAZbUuaDefJTDB?si=_HzGOIkqSS2kYwA-Oy_djg) for my series, check it out!
> 
> disclaimer: this isn't real! (this is a regular move!), i don't own these characters, they're real people and we should respect them!
> 
> also, i'm working on another fic right now, and i need information from when they just debuted/sm rookie days, if any of you know.. a lot about it.. or if any of you have been stanning nct since debut/smrookie days, please hit me up!

"You've got something on your mind," Taeyong declares. Stepping over Donghyuck's overnight bag by the floor.

"I'm sorry?" Jaehyun asks, startled. He looks up to see Taeyong standing on the edge of his bed, frowning.

Taeyong huffs and paces. "I know it, all day long, you've just been--different," he says, throwing his hands up as he goes.

Jaehyun is at a loss for words. He ruffles his hair. A nervous habit. "Hyung, I don't understand."

Taeyong make a gesture that looks like he wants to strangle something. He stops and throws himself next to Jaehyun, jostling the bed in the process. Jaehyun slides to the side to accommodate Taeyong, but somehow gets a determined 23-year-old sprawled over his lap instead, scrutinizing him. "You've got something on your mind, you've been quiet," he says carefully.

Ah. So _that's_ what this is all about.

"Have I?" Jaehyun's smile spreads slow across his face. He blinks intentionally, slowly. Some say it makes him look more innocent. Cuter. He'll try whatever to get Taeyong off his back.

"Jaehyunnie," Taeyong warns, frowning at him.

"Yongie," Jaehyun replies playfully.

Taeyong raises an unimpressed eyebrow. Jaehyun's face drops.

He sighs, closing his eyes, and runs a hand through his hair. "It's really nothing. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Jaehyun's got something on his mind alright, and it's been bothering him for the past couple of days. He's not the type to worry about anything, but they've been so _busy_ and he's so _tired_ that he can't stop the stream of thoughts that seem to have come from nowhere from affecting him.

Jaehyun wants so badly to give in. He wants nothing more than to cave in to the warmth that Taeyong offers. Let Taeyong deal with these emotions that he doesn't understand. But it's so trivial, and Taeyong's got so much on his plate already. Jaehyun doesn't want to add to that clutter.

"Lately, I worry more," Taeyong murmurs, dropping his voice, "about you."

Jaehyun glances at him. The older is observing him, looking for his tells. Taeyong knows all of them already, and Jaehyun doesn't know whether he should keep this facade up or not. He fiddles with his phone casing, taking them on and off. "I'm fine hyung, I swear," Jaehyun lies weakly.

"Sure." Taeyong doesn't roll his eyes but he might as well have.

"Hyung, if you keep frowning like that, you'll get wrinkles, you know? Can't have the visual of the group having wrinkles." Jaehyun grins cheekily, pinching Taeyong's cheek.

"Ah! Hey!" Taeyong whines, batting away Jaehyun's hand.

Jaehyun chuckles. "C'mon hyung, let's eat, yeah?" Taeyong is stubborn when he wants to be, but Jaehyun is, too. "You said you were hungry, right? Weren't you going to buy me dinner?" Jaehyun offers.

Taeyong takes the bait; Jaehyun could visibly see him he giving up. His eyes lose their determination, shifting to something more.. subdued, more calculating.

Uh oh.

"The nerve of you.." Taeyong grumbles. But he stands up, stretching his arms up until there's a pop. It sounds painful, but Taeyong doesn't seem bothered. A sliver of his belly shows when he stretches, and Jaehyun gets momentarily distracted by it. "Fine!" He says. "Let's go out, you're paying, though."

"If I'm paying, you do the talking."

Taeyong just punches his arm in reply and smacks his ass on their way out of the room.

-

The Los Angeles October air is chilly on their skin, making them shiver when they step outside of the hotel. Jaehyun regrets not wearing a thicker jacket. Regrets not bringing his scarf for Taeyong. Taeyong gets cold easily, and he's only wearing a thin sweater over his tank top.

They end up in an In-n-Out joint just a few blocks from the hotel that they're staying in; because Jaehyun wants milkshakes and Taeyong wants burgers.

The restaurant chain smells like oil and leftover fried food. Despite that, Jaehyun's grateful for the lukewarm temperature. The place is only sparsely populated with people. The cashier greets them with tired eyes, and Jaehyun orders for them. Taeyong a doube-double combo, and Jaehyun himself grilled cheese and a milkshake. They sit on a table at the corner. Unnoticeable. Just another odd couple in the sea of strangers.

He watches Taeyong munch down on his burger heartily while sipping on his own shake. It's vanilla, Taeyong would love it. Maybe next time he could persuade him to try.

"Hey, Jaehyunnie, have you listened to--" Taeyong starts. And it sort of tumbles on from there. They talk about everything and nothing at once. And with the way Taeyong presents himself here, relaxed and carefree, mustard smeared on a corner of his mouth, it seems like such a private moment. Something that's theirs and theirs only. Something that's tangible and important that makes Jaehyun's heart ache beautifully, a landmark in the city scape of Jaehyun's life

But it's not.

It's just Taeyong, and burgers, and fries and a glass of _really_ good milkshake.

"--and then I told Yuta, 'hey, maybe you should y'know, get on with it and _fess up_ ', and he stares me down and said in the _most_ _mostest_ voice possible--you know the one, right?-- _'I'd rather eat a jar of bees'_ ," Taeyong mimics, exaggeratedly portraying Yuta. "I mean, can you believe the nerve of this guy?" Taeyong rambles animatedly, a piece of fry dangling from his flinging hand. He wipes his hand on a napkin, using it to wipe his mouth too.

Jaehyun laughs loudly, half-wheezing and not caring if he's bothering anybody. "Oh God, Sicheng is going to have blue balls at this point. You know he's too proud to admit anything."

Taeyong hums, sipping on his soda and swallowing his food. "He's such a loser," he continues, rolling his eyes. He cringes. "I can't stand his making eyes at Sicheng. It's so sad sometimes."

"Oh? Weren't you also just as bad?" Jaehyun grins.

Taeyong gapes at him. Jaehyun relishes the way the blush spreads across Taeyong's cheekbones.

"I thought I told you not to bring that up," Taeyong mumbles, fiddling with the napkin. "Weren't you worse? Mr. Loved-You-Since-Forever?"

Jaehyun can feel his ears heat up, he chuckles, fingers travelling across to twirl with Taeyong's. "That's fair."

Taeyong's gaze soften at the sight of their hands intertwined. "I love you, though," he says quietly. Almost as if he's saying it to himself.

Jaehyun clears his throat, he feels like somebody punched all the air out of his lungs and replaced it all with butterflies. He averts his gaze. "I love you, too."

" _Loser_ , look who's embarrassed now," Taeyong teases, even if his own cheeks are still red. Taeyong doesn't let go of his hand, though, even if both their hands are greasy from the food they just ate. He just makes small circles on the back of Jaehyun's hand with his thumb. "You feel better?"

Jaehyun smiles. "Kind of. Thank you, hyung."

"Jaehyun," Taeyong tilts his head sideways slightly to get Jaehyun's full attention. "Look at me," he says, gently nudging Jaehyun's chin with his other hand so he'll look at Taeyong properly. "You know you can ask for affection and comfort, right? I'm here," he says. Earnest and sincere, the only way Taeyong knows how to do it.

"Yes, I'll ask if I want it, thank you."

Taeyong beams at him ( _bright, bright, bright)_ and squeezes his hand in reply.

Jaehyun feels so loved and so in love that at that moment, nothing else really matters.

-

They fly back to Korea the next day, and Jaehyun's anxieties reappears at the face of multiple camera lights and doesn't fall. If anything, it increases tenfold. He loves Seoul, but everything is so suffocating here. The producers, the practices, the fans, ~~the fucking stalkers~~ , there are too many expectations.

Jaehyun knows he's good, knows he delivers, but sometimes he wonders if it's enough, and if it means anything at all.

-

The day after finds Jaehyun pacing in his room, still worried over nothing and everything.

_You can ask for it._ Jaehyun repeats in his head. He exhales throuh his nose, frustated. Right. It's so much easier said than done. _Come on Jaehyun, be a man._ He takes a deep breath and squares his shoulder and goes to find Taeyong.

Taeyong sits on the couch of the living room, sprawled lazily as if he owns the place. He just got back from recording, he still has his beanie on. He hasn't even taken off his backpack yet, it's squished between his back and the couch. He's on his phone again, probably playing a game.

"Hyung?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I--uh."

Taeyong peeks from behind his phone. Dongyoung is banging around in the kitchen somewhere, yelling loud enough to be heard by the both of them. Jaehyun fidgets at the stare. "Yes?"

"Can I talk to you?"

Taeyong observes him; Jaehyun feels dissected, he shifts his weight from one leg to another. Taeyong eyes Donghyuck in the other end of the couch, glued to his phone. He purses his lips and hums. "Sure, my room?"

Jaehyun nods.

Taeyong strides forward, dragging Jaehyun by the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

"Whoa," Jaehyun says.

Once in his bedroom though, the atmosphere slows and smooths out. Taeyong takes his time carefully putting his belongings back where they were supposed to. Placing his beanie on his drawer and his bag on a container by the door. He changes out of his recording outfit and into a pair of comfy-looking boxers and a soft, cotton t-shirt. Jaehyun is supposed to be used to seeing Taeyong shirtless, but he looks away anyways when Taeyong starts stripping.

Taeyong sits on the head of his bed, leaning against the headboard, pillows behind him. Jaehyun inches closer to sit next to him.

Taeyong tuts. "You sure you want to be sitting down?"

Jaehyun stops. "I'm--yeah, I mean--"

Taeyong levels him with an unimpressed look.

Jaehyun sighs and gives in, hesitantly laying his head on Taeyong's lap instead. He curls up, burrying his face onto Taeyong's stomach, closing his eyes. The older grabs something from beside him, and a second later Jaehyun is encased in warmth.

He takes in a shuddering breath, Taeyong's scent completely surrounding him. Taeyong's fingers carding through his hair. Taeyong's warmth. He lifts an arm up, throwing it over Taeyong's thigh and around Taeyong's torso until his hand settle near Taeyong's back, his other arm going around Taeyong's middle too.

"Wait, um." Taeyong slides down, and somehow Jaehyun's face ends up smushed on Taeyong's stomach, arms doing a sort of incomplete-hug around the older man. It's comfortable, though. He sighs contently.

He _loves_ this. This is him in his most comfortable zone with Taeyong, he'd live in it 24/7 if he could, not doing anything else.

Taeyong's fingers are still in his hair, combing through the strands gently. "You wanted to talk about something?" Taeyong asks softly.

Jaehyun doesn't answer immediately. He doesn't know how to decipher the swirling vortex of anxious questions inside his brain.

"Do you think," Jaehyun tests out, settling on a question to start off, "do you think we're doing well, hyung?"

"Yeah, I do," Taeyong answers immediately, no hesitation in his voice. "What brought this on?"

"I don't know. It just came to mind," Jaehyun replies. "Are we... popular enough?"

Taeyong pauses, his fingers stilling for a moment, before continuing. "I don't think we could ever be. You can never be too popular in this industry."

"Should I--should I be worried about us?"

"Us?"

"Ill-i-chil," Jaehyun answers shortly. "One two seven. The whole of NCT. I don't know."

Taeyong lets a couple of beats pass, not answering. The silence is heavy with the weight of Jaehyun's question.

"I don't think so, Jaehyunnie--we can't really do anything except our best, we can't control the outcome. Hell, we can't even control what we produce," Taeyong adds as an afterthought.

Jaehyun sighs. "I know. But it gets frustrating."

Taeyong hums in response.

"Okay, answer me. Jaehyun-ah, do you enjoy what you're doing?"

Jaehyun ponders for a moment. "Immensely."

"Are you still following your dreams?"

"Yes."

"If this all falls through, do you know what you're going to do?"

"Yes."

"Ten years in the future, have your plans changed?"

"No."

"Then what are you worried about? Life isn't a race, you know that. We don't have to _be_ the best. We just have to _do_ our best."

Jaehyun doesn't say anything. Even with his vague questions and even more vague answers, his anxieties seem to be receding. They were shackles weighing him down, and Taeyong just casually strolled in with the key and unlocked them. Jaehyun feels lighter, better.

_Freer._

It doesn't even take much, just a few words from Taeyong to reorder Jaehyun's convoluted mess of a brain into working lines again.

Jaehyun tightens his hold around Taeyong, pressing his face to Taeyong's stomach. He groans loudly. How does he _do_ that? Taeyong has too much power over him sometimes. Jaehyun should be scared, shouldn't he? But he can't find it in himself to mind.

Taeyong laughs, tugs at Jaehyun's hair. "That tickles."

He relaxes his hold and flops to his back, his head on Taeyong's thighs. "You're absolutely right, you know that, hyung? I feel stupid now for worrying so much."

"Hey, don't say that," Taeyong chides gently. He sits up, cradling Jaehyun's face, searching into his eyes. "What you felt makes sense. But we're kind of good at what we do." _We can't afford not to be_. Taeyong doesn't say. "So you can rest easy knowing that we've given it all. _One hundred pahsent._ "

"What comes out of it is out of our control, don't think about it too much. Just enjoy the journey, right? Every moment." _With me._ He doesn't say. Taeyong smiles at him, soft and wonderful and chock-full of love Jaehyun can see it in the air, feel the warmth of it on the tips of his fingers, taste it on the back of his throat.

"Right," Jaehyun answers, more enthralled by Taeyong than the words coming out of his mouth.

"Hyung," Jaehyun whispers, a hand going up to the back of Taeyong's neck, pulling him down. Taeyong raises his eyebrows in surprise, but complies. He bends down further. Jaehyun adjusts to a more comfortable position so he can kiss Taeyong properly, slightly sitting up. The angle is still weird, but it's good. Taeyong's lips are a bit chapped because he won't stop biting on them.

Jaehyun licks at Taeyong's mouth but Taeyong pulls away first, ending the kiss when it's still chaste enough. Jaehyun chases after him, whining, mourning the loss.

Taeyong wets his lips, looking down at Jaehyun. "Good?" Taeyong asks, voice not quite rough yet, but on its way to be.

Jaehyun shakes his head, pouting.

Taeyong straightens up, his fingers continuing its work on Jaehyun's hair. He laughs, short and sweet and _wonderful._ Everything about Taeyong is wonderful. "Okay, I'm sorry. We can't do much. The others are home," Taeyong winks.

Jaehyun feels his face heats up. "Okay, I guess," he answers.

"You want to watch a movie instead? Here, in my room. We can cuddle."

Jaehyun only pretends to be disappointed. "That's fine, I guess." 

-

Later, when Jaehyun is snuggled comfortably against Taeyong's side, Toy Story 4 playing on Taeyong's laptop in front of him, he gazes at Taeyong intently.

"Taeyongie."

"Yes?"

He doesn't say anything until Taeyong turns to look at him too. Jaehyun smiles, slow, again. Deliberate, until his dimples are showing. The way Taeyong likes it. He can tell by the way Taeyong can't look anywhere else but him.

"Thank you for earlier. You always know how to make me feel better."

"Don't thank me," Taeyong says, laying his head on Jaehyun's shoulder, shifting until he's comfortable, "I always have your back. You can ask for it, remember?"

"Yes," Jaehyun answers. He wants to sink his nose in Taeyong's hair. So he does, giving a kiss on top of the elder’s head, inhaling his scent, closing his eyes and sighing contently.

"I love you, Taeyong." He mumbles into Taeyong's hair.

Taeyong brings their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing Jaehyun's knuckles one by one. "I love you, too."

-

"Hey, Taeyong, are you ready to--"

Yuta's words die in his throat upon entrance to Taeyong's room. He stays there, hand lingering on the doorframe, standing as still as possible.

"Oh my," he mutters.

Taeyong and Jaehyun are sleeping, wrapped around each other as if afraid something's going to happen if they let go. Jaehyun's got Taeyong tucked into his chest, an arm hanging loosely around the older man. They're both burrowed halfway underneath Taeyong's thick blanket. Taeyong's Mac sits precariously on the end of the bed. Yuta tiptoes inside and takes it, placing it on Taeyong's impeccable desk.

He fishes out his phone then, and takes a picture. It makes that horrible clicking noise that androids do. Taeyong stirs. Yuta doesn't breathe.

"Yuta what's taking you so long?" Youngho asks from the door. "Oh," Youngho lets out. Yuta is amazed by his ability to remain impassive at such a sight. "You found the lovebirds."

Yuta grins at Youngho, bounding over. "Yeah, they're kind of cute, right?"

"Kind of nauseating if you ask me," Youngho jokes.

"Don't be so bitter, go call your boo."

"At least I _have_ a boo. Unlike _some_ people."

"Talk shit again," Yuta threatens, smiling with all his teeth, "and I'll break your kneecaps."

Youngho raises an eyebrow, he's grinning, though. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"More like someone woke up _alone_ on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Donghyuck quips from behind Youngho.

Yuta groans, banging his head against the wall next to the door. He doesn't even want to know why Donghyuck is here. "Can we not."

Their conversation is broken by the sound of rustling coming from Taeyong's bed.

Jaehyun is sitting up, his head hanging from his shoulders. "Oh, hyung-deul, you're here." Jaehyun mumbles sleepily from the bed. "Were you looking for Taeyongie-hyung?" He blinks blearily at the congregation of people in Taeyong's room, and yawns, rubbing his eye.

Yuta can hear the collective sighs coming out of the three of them. Jaehyun isn't even the youngest but he's the cutest, sometimes. Yuta is glad for whatever magic Taeyong worked on him. Jaehyun's been having eyebags the past week, shoulders tense. It wasn't a very good look on him.

"Yeah, Yongie and I were going to do a v-live together. But he seems tired, I'll do one with Donghyuck instead."

"Huh?" Donghyuck asks.

"Oh. Donghyuck is here," Jaehyun says. "Hello. And no, Yuta-hyung. I'll wake him. He'll be angry if we don't wake him up."

Jaehyun bends down a little and shakes Taeyong's shoulder. He murmurs something to Taeyong. The older one, instead of waking up, just makes irritated noises for a couple of seconds before looping his arms around Jaehyun's neck. Effectively dragging the younger down against him. Jaehyun's ears go red, no doubt embarrassed at such display of affection in front of an audience. "Hyung!" He squeals out.

"Aaand that's our cue to leave, come on, Hyuck," Youngho says, physically turning Yuta away from the scene. The latter chuckles.

"Tell Taeyong if he's not ready in 20 minutes we're leaving without him!" Yuta yells out.

"Jaehyun, dont forget to get ready for Ennana!"

"I support your love, hyung-deul!" Donghyuck shouts.

Yuta shakes his head.

Support their love indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> soo how was it? i hope it was good! please let me know what you think with a comment below <3 thank you for reading, everybody.
> 
> find me on twitter, i'm [catchingjaehyun](https://twitter.com/catchingjaehyun)  
> and [markleeshalo](markleeshalo.tumblr.com) on tumblr.
> 
> again, i'm working on another fic and i need help! if any of you have been stanning since debut/smrookie days, or you consider yourself well informed on those days, please hit me up! thank you <3


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